Easy Wet Felting Projects for Beginners
Wet felting is a wonderfully hands-on craft that turns soft wool roving into strong, colourful felt using warm soapy water and friction. If you’re new to felt making, the best way to learn is by trying small et felting projects that don’t require too much wool or complicated techniques.
Here are five simple wet felting projects for beginners to get you started, each one teaching you different skills while giving you a beautiful handmade result.
- Felt Coasters
One of the simplest and most practical projects for beginners is making felt coasters. All you need is some wool tops, warm soapy water, and a little patience.
To make coasters, layer tufts of wool in alternating directions to create a square or circle. Add water and soap, then gently rub and roll until the fibres lock together. Once firm, rinse in cold water and trim the edges neatly.
This project is great for practising even felting techniques and experimenting with colour combinations. Try blending two or three shades for a marbled effect, or add silk fibres for decorative felting.
- Soap in a Felted Coat
Felting around a bar of soap is a fun and practical project. Not only does it make a lovely handmade gift, but the felt acts as a natural exfoliating washcloth.
Start by wrapping thin layers of wool roving around the soap, alternating directions. Add warm water and a drop of soap to help the fibres stick. Gently rub the wool against the bar until the fibres begin to felt, then rinse and allow to dry.
This project teaches you how to felt around a solid object and control shrinkage – a useful skill for more advanced felt crafts.
- Felt Beads
If you love jewellery making or embellishments, felt beads are the perfect beginner project. They’re quick, addictive, and a great way to use up leftover scraps of wool.
To make them, roll a small piece of damp wool into a ball between your palms, adding soap and water as you go. Keep rolling until it firms up, then rinse and leave to dry. Once you’ve made a batch, string them together for necklaces, bracelets, or decorations.
Felt beads are ideal for practising shaping techniques and experimenting with colours. Beginners often find this project especially rewarding because you can create something wearable in minutes.
- Small Felt Bowl or Vessel
For a slightly more advanced beginner project, try making a small felt bowl using a resist. A resist is simply a template made from plastic or thick paper that stops fibres from felting together in certain places, allowing you to create hollow forms.
Lay out thin layers of wool on both sides of your resist, add soapy water, and felt as usual. Once the wool firms up, cut a small slit to remove the resist and continue felting until you have a sturdy bowl.
This project introduces you to 3D felting techniques and gives you a feel for sculptural felt making. It’s also a lovely way to create decorative items for your home.
- Flat Felt Picture
If you enjoy experimenting with colour and texture, making a flat felt picture is a brilliant project. Think of it as painting with wool.
Start with a flat base layer of wool, then add thin wisps of coloured fibres to create your design – perhaps a simple landscape, flowers, or abstract patterns. Add warm water and soap, then felt gently until the fibres bond. Frame your picture once it’s dry for a unique piece of felt art.
Flat felt pictures are an excellent introduction to decorative felting and colour blending, helping you develop confidence with design.
Final Thoughts
Trying these five wet felting projects – coasters, soap in a felted coat, felt beads, a small vessel, and a flat felt picture – will give you a strong foundation in wet felting for beginners. Each one builds on essential felting techniques, from working flat to creating 3D shapes.
Best of all, these projects are low-cost, eco-friendly, and endlessly creative. With just a little wool roving and some soapy water, you’ll soon be hooked on the relaxing and rewarding world of felt crafts.